Motor.



PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

A. B. RONEY.

I MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED 0013.10, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL [MFA/TOR.

W1 TNESSES m: mums PETERS cu. mmm'nou wnsun cwn. D. c.

PATENTED JAN. 6,. 1903.

A. B. HONEY.

MOTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED 00110; 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

IN VEN TOR.

WITNESSES No. 717,624. 'PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903. A. B. RONEY.

'MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED 06-110. 1201 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

[N VENTOR;

W! TNESSES No. 717,624. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

' A. B. RONEY.

' MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED 0013,10, 1901.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR.

W] TNESSES YHt mm: min ml. mvmvm. mmlmcn. a. c.

UNITED; STATES PATENT @EEIQE.

ALEXANDER B. RONEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOTOR.

SEEGIFIOATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 717,624, dated January 6, 1903. Application filed October 10. 1901. Serial No. 78,182. (No model.)

To all whom it mayconcern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER B. RONEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,

have invented new and usefullmprovements in Rotary Motors, of which the following-is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a motor that is self-starting and selfcontained while propelling a loaded vehicle. It has other mechanical advantages relating to its application to traction vehicles explained elsewhere.

Figure No. 1 is an outline, view of a vehicle to which my invention is applied. Fig. No. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 on the line 22 as indicated by dotted line 4 4 in Fig. 4. FigNo. 3 isa cross-sectionrof Fig. l on the line 2 2. The figure shows the thrust-plate J the spoke-wheeljA i, and the torch A removed for purposes of illustration. Fig. No. 4: is a cross-section of Fig. 1 on the line 3 3'. Fig. No. 5 is a cross-section of the coupler A and axle B. Fig. No. 6 is a longitudinal sec tion of Fig. 7. Fig. No. 7 is an outline view of the expander.

My invention consists of elementary parts in combination, as follows: first, the axle R; second, the wheel H, loose on the axle R, with its periphery spaced oft in notches A third, an endless chain of piston-expanders, consisting of piston and cylinder parts M M movable in guides S S at striking distance to the notches A of the wheel H; fourth, the expanders filled with a volatile fluid and sealed tight by a fusible packing; fifth, the application of heat to the body of one or more expanders in the chain to expand the fluid in them against their pistons the instant the end of piston part M of any expander in the chain is in the position past the dead -center of wheel H, so that it will enter a notch A and push the wheel around; sixth, a feed mechanism consisting of shaft 0, spoke-wheel A and thrust-plate J, actuated by the wheel H to move the guided expanders, on the one hand, to be heated for action against the wheel H, on the other, through a coolingbath to condense the heated fluid in them back to its original state, thence again to the heat, thence to be cooled, and' so on continuously while the heat is applied to them.

The utility of my invention is best explained by showing it, as illustrated, compounded and assembled, in combination with the running-gear of a vehicle as a driver. It

' simple steering-lever.

' The manner in which the motor is harnessed to the vehicle as a driver, the manner in which it propels it, and the manner in which its operation is controlled by a single lever are explained as follows:

A pair of motors, each one having the elementary parts in combination as itemized, is

mounted to a vehicle, of which Fig. 1 is an tween them. The peripheries of motor-wheels H H are divided up in notches A and the space between the notches coincides with the spacing of the expanders that are supported by and adapted to travel tandem between guides S S S S, so that their piston parts M register in relative order in striking distance'to the notches A of the wheels H H The guides S S S S are filled with expanders throughouttheircontinuous path,inclined on the one side down into the water-trough and on the other side inclined up out of the trough into a horizontal plane over the motor-wheels H H but under the thrust-plates J J thence around to the incline at the other side. The eXpanders, held in the guides under the thrust-plates J J but over the wheels H H are in mesh with the spokes of the wheels A A The spoke-wheel A (not shown) is similar to the spoke-wheel A and is mounted on the shaft 0 just below the thrust-plated? Both the spoke-wheels and the thrust-plates are fixed to the vertical shafts C 0 that have gears meshed in the hub=gears F F of wheels H H The shaft A is located inbearings at suitable distancefrom the wheels H H and axle R. It'has an arm A in connection with the coupler A on the axle R. It supports a gasolene-torch, which is fixed to it. The valve-stem of the torch is in gear with the rack extension of the splined collar A which is loose on the shaft A and which has an annular groove in which plays the forked end of pivoted lever A The spring N under the collar A rests on the gearwheel A Gear-wheel A is fixed to the shaft A The gear-wheel A is in mesh with the rack A. The rack A extends through the hangers P P and connects with the link A The link A connects with the steering-lever A and the steering-lever is hinged to shaft A of the forward trucks. The steering-lever A has a knurled sleeve A loose on one of its handle-bars. Then one end of cord A is attached to the sleeve, and the other end of the cord is tied to the pivoted lever A. Any one of the expanders is a piston device. (See Figs. 6 and 7.) The cylinder part M is made of seamless tubing, with one end plugged to seat the valve M Itis ground out true, perfectly straight, and absolutely smooth. The piston part M has annular grooves filled with a fusible packing that melts at a temperature of boiling water. The piston is machined true, straight, and smooth, so as to telescope the cylinder with a snug fit. Within the expanders are coiled springs M, that hold the parts M M together. Then the expanders are filled with a volatile fluid and sealed tight by drawing the threaded valve to its seat by the nut N The gasolene-torch, mounted on shaft A is first fired up before operating the motors. Then the operation is confined to but one motor at a time. Now moving the steering-le- Ver A moves the link A The link moves the rack A to rotate the shaft A which turns the flame of the torch onto the expanders in position over the notched wheel H In addition to this the same rotation of shaft A moves the coupler A into clutch with the wheel H locking it to the axle R. Then if the knurled sleeve A on the handle-bar of the steering-lever is turned to wind in the cord A to throw the lever A and move the rack guided by the splined collar A to open the valve A of the torch this regulates the intensity of heat applied to the expanders. Now the expanders that are subjected to the heat of the torch are just by the dead-center of the notched wheel H Then the metal packing within the expanders melts and packs the piston-joints in the cylinders efiectually againstleakage. Then thevolatilefluidwithin them expands and forces the cylinder parts M against the thrust-plate J While the piston parts M are forced against the notchfaces A thus rotating the combined wheel and axle. The wheel H in its turning turns the shaft G which with its spoke-wheel A moves the live expanders away from the wheel H along the guides S S to the watertrough; but before the live expanders could reach the water-trough the pressure in them would force their pistons out were it not for the tension of the powerful coiled springs that hold them in while in transit along the guides to be cooled off for the condensation of their volatile fluid. The condensing fluid creates a vacuum that draws the pistons back into the cylinders, assisted by the springs. Now the vehicle is being propelled in the backward direction, and the speed of its propulsion is regulated by the use of the knurled sleeve A to wind or unwind the cord A to open or to shut the valve of the torch. Then to allow the momentum of the vehicle a free wheel the steering-lever is moved forward just enough to move the coupler A to uncouple the motor-wheel H from the axle R and at the same time swing the flame of the torch away from the expanders. Then the motor-wheels H H being loose on the axle and spaced far enough apart allow the axle R to revolve the coupler A without touching the wheels. Now for the forward propulsion of the vehicle the steering-lever is'moved still forward to move the coupler A to clutch the wheel H of the other motor and lock it to the axle R, and the torch responding to the same movement of the steering-lever swings with its flame against the expanders of the other motor to actuate them in the manner described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a rotary motor, the combination of an axle, and a wheel on said axle having its periphery spaced off in notches, with a chain of piston-expanders, containing a volatile fluid, heating appliances, cooling means and a feed mechanism for moving the expanders into position over the notched wheel on the axle, where the expanders are subjected to the heating appliance, whereby the pistons of the expanders are forced outward into the engagement with the notched wheel, said feed mechanism then moving the expanders to the cooling means.

ALEXANDER B. RONEY. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. BROAS, FRANK H. GRIsWoLD. 

